Electric switch superstructures



March 22, 1966 E. T. PIBER 3,242,297

ELECTRIC SWITCH SUPERSTRUCTURES Filed April 50, 1963 United States Patent M 3,242,297 ELECTRIC SWITCH SUPERSTRUCTURES Earl T. Piber, Milwaukee, Wis., a'ssignor to Cutler-Hammer, Inc., Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 30, 1963, Ser. No. 276,971 Claims. (Cl. 200-168) This invention relates to electric switches and more particularly to an improved superstructure for such switches.

It is a primary object of this invention to provide an electric switch which has fewer parts, is easier to assemble and less expensive to' manufacture.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an electric switch in which all exterior parts are of an electric insulating material.

It is a more specific object of this invention to provide a superstructure which has means formed integral therewith for securement to the switch housing.

These and other objects will hereinafter appear in the following specification and claims when taken in conjunction with the drawing, in which there is illustrated a slide button switch by way of example and is not meant to limit the invention, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a top view of a slide button switch;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the switch;

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the switch;

FIG. 4 is an end elevational view of the switch;

FIG. 5 is a partial sectional View of the switch as indicated by line 55 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view along the longitudinal centerline of the switch as indicated by line 6-6 in FIG. 4; and

FIG. 7 is an exploded isometric view of the parts of the switch that comprise the superstructure.

As seen in FIG. 7, the superstructure of the switch comprises a switch base 10, a combination cover and mounting plate member 20 and a slide button actuator 30. The members 10, 20 and 30 are all made of an electric insulating material; however, the slide button 30 and the mounting member 20 are formed of a more or less resilient material such as nylon.

Switch base 10 and mechanism therein is of a well known type such as that described in the expired Alvin W. Krieger Patent No. 2,171,368, dated August 29, 1939, and therefore many of the details have been omitted. A recess 10a is open to the top of base 10 and a pair of stationary contacts 12 and a switch operating mechanism are located within recess 10a. A pair of wire lead connectors 14 are connected to stationary contacts 12 and extend outwardly of the base for connection to an external power source. A substantially W-shaped bridging contact member 16 is pivotally mounted at the upper end of its outer legs within the recess 10a. A compression spring 18 provides an overcenter driving connection between the contact member 16 and slide button 30 as will be more fully described later. Base 10 is also provided with a pair of cylindrical holes 10b which extend between the upper and lower surfaces of the base.

Combination cover and mounting plate member 20 has a pair of substantially L-shaped slots 22 which open to its top and opposite sides. A pair of vertical sidewalls 20a extend upwardly of the member 20 at its sides and form one wall of slots 22 as can be seen in FIG. 7. A central aperture 24 is open to both the top and bottom surfaces of member 20. A pair of tabs 26 extend outwardly of the sides of member 20 for purposes of mounting the switch to the device it is desired to control. A pair of cylindrical projections 28 which have internal end recesses are molded integral of the member 20 and extend outwardly of its lower surface in corresponding alinement with holes 1012 of base 10.

Slide button 30 has a pair of resilient leg portions 32 3,242,297 Patented Mar. 22, 1966 extending outwardly of its lower surface. Leg portions 32 are formed complemental to slots 22 of member 20, and have beveled cam surfaces 32a at their outer ends. A central boss portion 34 also extends outwardly of the lower surface of button 30 and has on its outer surface a dome-shaped extension 36 which centrally divides a rib 38 also shown in FIG. 7.

Button 30 is assembled to the mounting plate 20 by first alining the legs 32 above the slots 22 and then sliding the button downward into the mounting plate. As beveled surfaces 32a move between the side walls 20a, they cam legs 32 inward and side walls 20a maintain the legs in this position until the complemental horizontal portions of the legs and slots are in line, thus allowing the legs to spring outward and lock the button to the mounting plate. With button 30 in place, the boss portion 34 extends through the central aperture 24 of member 20.

The slots 22 are of greater longitudinal length than the legs 32 and button 30 is thus free to travel linearly the difference between the two lengths. The central aperture 24 is of sufiicient length to provide travel clearance for boss 34.

Member 20 is next assembled to the base 10 by inserting the cylindrical extensions 28 into alined holes 1012. The upper end of the compression spring 18 bears against the rib 38 and is maintained in that location by dome portion 36 which extends into spring 18 as shown in FIG. 6. Movement of the button therefore moves the upper end of the spring past center and the spring in turn operates the bridging contact.

With the member 20 and base 10 held firmly together, the ends of extensions 28, which protrude beyond the opposite side of the base, are spun over. A preferable way to accomplish this is to wrap a tool of the type used for turning over metal rivets with a heating element and heat this tool to a constant temperature on the order of 375 to 400 F. The combination of the temperature and spinning motion cause the walls of the recesses of projections 28 to roll back over themselves instead of flaring outwardly, thus forming a neat and firm rivet head.

Use of such nylon rivets molded integral with the mounting member 20 eliminates the use of separate metal rivets and also provides a switch which has no electric conductive materials externally exposed. The extensive use of molded insulating material also makes it possible for the button to secure itself to the mounting member, eliminates a special spring cap between the spring and the button, and allows mounting features of the switch to be made integral with a portion of the switch structure.

I claim:

1. In an electric switch, in combination, a base, switch contacts and operating mechanism mounted in said base within a recess which opens to one side of said base, and an assembly overlying and closing the recess in said base, said assembly comprising .a member formed of an electric insulating material having means for securing said member to said base, a pair of transversely spaced L-shaped slots opening through an outer surface and opposite sides of said member and a central aperture communicating with said recess in said base, and a slide button operator mounted to said member for relative movement therewith, said slide button having resilient leg portions complemental to and interfitting with the slots in said member and 'having an integral portion which extends through said central aperture and has connection with the switch operating mechanism in said base.

2. The combination according to claim 1, wherein said member and said slide button are formed of a semielastic electric insulating material.

3. The combination according to claim 1, wherein said leg portions of said slide button are longitudinally shorter 3 than the length of said slots by an amount which defines the total reciprocable movement for said slide button.

4. In an electric switch, in combination, a base formed of electric insulating material, switch contacts and operating mechanism mounted in said base within .a recess opening through one side of said base, a combination cover and mounting member formed of an electrical insulating material and comprising a cover portion overlying t-he recess in said base, integral fastening portions projecting through clearance openings in said base, said fastening portions being upset over an outer surface of said base to secure the latter and said member together, said member further comprising an intermediate portion of reduced lateral area overlying said cover portion and an upper flat surfaced portion overhanging said intermediate portion, said intermediate and flat surfaced portions having a pair of transversely spaced L-shaped slots which open through the flat surfaced portion and through the opposite sides, respectively, of said inter-mediate portion and having a central aperture extending therethrough and communicating with the recess in said base, and a slide button operator formed of a semi-elastic insulating material having transversely spaced integral leg 4 portions complemental to and interfitting with said slots and having a third integral portion which extends through said central aperture and has connection with the switch operating mechanism in said base.

5. The combination according to claim 4, wherein said cover portion of said member has integral tabs depending to opposite sides which together with said flat surfaced portion serve to anchor the switch in a panel or housing that is suitably apertured to accommodate said intermediate portion of said member.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,220,634 3/1917 Hubert 200-153 2,171,368 8/1939 Krieger 200-468 3,172,983 3/1965 Zoda 200-168 FOREIGN PATENTS 946,024 1/1964 Great Britain. I 353,426 5/ 1961 Switzerland.

KATHLEEN H. CLAFFY, Primary Examiner. BERNARD A. GILHEANY, Examiner. 

1. IN AN ELECTRIC SWITCH, IN COMBINATION, A BASE, SWITCH CONTACTS AND OPERATING MECHANISM MOUNTED IN SAID BASE WITHIN A RECESS WHICH OPENS TO ONE SIDE OF SAID BASE, AND AN ASSEMBLY OVERLYING AND CLOSING THE RECESS IN SAID BASE, SAID ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A MEMBER FORMED OF AN ELECTRIC INSULATING MATERIAL HAVING MEANS FOR SECURING SAID MEMBER TO SAID BASE, A PAIR OF TRANSVERSELY SPACED L-SHAPED SLOTS OPENING THROUGH AN OUTER SURFACE AND OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID MEMBER AND A CENTRAL APERTURE COMMUNICATING WITH SAID RECESS IN SAID BASE, AND A SLIDE BUTTON OPERATOR MOUNTED TO SAID MEMBER FOR RELATIVE MOVEMENT THEREWITH, SAID SLIDE BUTTON HAVING RESILIENT LEG PORTIONS COMPLEMENTAL TO AND INTERFITTING WITH THE SLOTS IN SAID MEMBER AND HAVING AN INTEGRAL PORTION WHICH EXTENDS THROUGH SAID CENTRAL APERTURE AND HAS CONNECTION WITH THE SWITCH OPERATING MECHANISM IN SAID BASE. 